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Fire Glazing For Southampton University
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Building 85 lies within the campus of Southampton University, and is the new home for the Institute of Life Sciences. This new, state of the art building cost in the region of £34 million to construct, and core to the design was the use of sustainable and low maintenance materials, a category which included fire glazing systems from Fendor.
Over 40 different fire glazing elements were required for the interior of the building, ranging from screens, doors and panels offering 30 minutes fire rating in the atrium to 60 minute fire rated doors and screens in the lift lobby. Architects NBBJ of London were responsible for the design and according to project architect, Crysta Falcon, the Fendor Fireline system was the best option in terms of performance, appearance and sustainability.
“We chose the Fireline system because of its proven ability to offer the required fire rating, and due to its fire performance without having to compromise aesthetics in the ten metre atrium, ” she commented. “The whole theme of the building raises the bar in terms of design sustainability, with timber featuring heavily both internally and externally.
The cladding is Western Red Cedar and the internal panelling is bamboo. The door and joinery features are also timber and the steel Fireline system was the ideal complement to the wood detailing. Polyester powder coated finished, the fire glazed elements offer very low maintenance, significantly reducing the need for repainting and redecoration.”
The Fireline range of fire resistant glazing meets all legislative and safety requirements for fire integrity and fire insulation, and offers natural light into buildings whilst still performing its primary function. This enables it to be used as a design medium in its own right, as is the case at Building 85 where the glazing complements the rest of the interior design.
The seven story high Institute of Life Science was opened earlier this year, and students at the university now have a new location for their studies, a building that is modern, contemporary and meets all regulations for fire safety and security.
